Temperature regulating system for an electronic vapor provision system

Abstract

A temperature regulating system for an electronic vapor provision system (EVPS) comprises a sensor to detect at least one parameter of the airflow within the EVPS; a user interface adapted to receive an indication from a user that a puff of the EVPS was too hot; and a processor adapted to change at least a first aspect of a vapor generation process to reduce the vapor temperature at the mouthpiece, based upon sensor data from the at least one parameter of the airflow, in response to the received indication.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A temperature regulating system of an electronic vapor provision system (EVPS), comprising:
 a sensor to detect at least one parameter of an airflow within the EVPS; 
 a user interface adapted to receive an indication from a user that a puff of the EVPS was too hot; 
 in response to a received indication, a processor is adapted to detect whether a difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount, and 
 if so, 
 the processor is adapted to change at least a first aspect of a vapor generation process to reduce a vapor temperature at a mouthpiece, based upon sensor data from responsive to the at least one parameter of the airflow, in response to the received indication. 
 
     
     
       2. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is air flow rate, 
 and when the air flow rate is below an expected value by a predetermined amount, 
 the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       3. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is dynamic air pressure, 
 and when the dynamic air pressure is above an expected value by a predetermined amount, 
 the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       4. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is humidity, 
 and when the humidity is above an expected value by a predetermined amount, 
 the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       5. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is ambient air temperature prior to heating, 
 and when the ambient air temperature prior to heating is above an expected value by a predetermined amount, 
 the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       6. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is static air pressure, 
 and when the static air pressure is below an expected value by a predetermined amount, 
 the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 iii. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 iv. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       7. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the processor is adapted to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by a predetermined amount, the resulting effective heating temperature of the heater remaining above the vaporization temperature of a payload of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       8. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the processor is adapted to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. reducing the heater temperature; 
 ii. changing a duty cycle of the heater; and 
 iii. reducing a pre-heat temperature of the heater. 
 
     
     
       9. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the processor is adapted to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater by an amount responsive to the difference between the detected and expected amount of the at least one parameter of the airflow. 
 
     
     
       10. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sensor to detect instantaneous airflow rates; and 
 wherein the processor is adapted to make instantaneous changes the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS in response to the sensor data. 
 
     
     
       11. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the processor is adapted to model an inhalation profile of the user based upon instantaneous airflow rates detected by a sensor during inhalation, the inhalation profile being indicative of airflow rate during the course of an inhalation action by the user; and 
 the processor is adapted to change at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process responsive to the inhalation profile. 
 
     
     
       12. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 when the processor calculates a change for an effective temperature for the heater that would be below a vaporization temperature of a payload of the EVPS, the system notifies the user. 
 
     
     
       13. The temperature regulating system of an EVPS according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the EVPS comprises a wireless communication unit operable to communicate with a remote device; and 
 the processor is located in the remote device. 
 
     
     
       14. A method of regulating temperature of an electronic vapor provision system (EVPS), comprising the steps of:
 obtaining airflow sensor data from a sensor operable to detect at least one parameter of an airflow within the EVPS; 
 detecting whether an indication from a user that a puff of the EVPS was too hot is received; 
 in response to a received indication, 
 detecting whether a difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount, and if so, 
 changing at least a first aspect of a vapor generation process to reduce a vapor temperature at a mouthpiece, based upon sensor data from responsive to the at least one parameter of the airflow. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow comprises air flow rate; and 
 when the air flow rate is below an expected value by a predetermined amount, the method comprises the step of changing one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow comprises one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. dynamic air pressure; 
 ii. humidity; and 
 iii. ambient air temperature prior to heating, 
 and the or each parameter is above an expected value by a respective predetermined amount, the method comprises the step of changing one or more selected from the list consisting of: 
 i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and 
 ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of changing an aspect of the vapor generation process comprises reducing the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by one or more selected from the list consisting of:
 i. reducing the heater temperature; 
 ii. changing a duty cycle of the heater; and 
 iii. reducing a pre-heat temperature of the heater. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising notifying the user when the effective heating temperature of the heater would need to be reduced to a temperature below the vaporization temperature of a payload of the EVPS in response to changing an aspect of the vapor generation process. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , comprising the steps of:
 detecting the instantaneous airflow rate; and 
 making instantaneous changes to the effective heating temperature of the heater of the VPS in response to the instantaneous airflow rate. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , comprising the steps of:
 modelling an inhalation profile of the user based upon instantaneous airflow rate during inhalation, the inhalation profile being indicative of airflow rate during the course of an inhalation action by the user; and 
 changing at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process responsive to the inhalation profile. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the steps of obtaining temperature sensor data and airflow sensor data occur within the EVPS, and comprising the step of:
 transmitting the temperature sensor data airflow sensor data to a remote processor adapted to calculate the change to at least the first aspect of the vapor generation process. 
 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions adapted to cause a computer system to perform the method of  claim 14 .